Tiolet seat with sanitary system

ABSTRACT

The invention presents a reversible (two sided) toilet seat with a sanitary system. The toilet seat, placed on top of a washing chamber, has two sides and, in the lifted position, can be rotated to allow use and washing of each side. The washing chamber is equipped with washing nozzles supplying washing fluid and a dryer/blower supplying drying air. After each use, the seat can be is lifted, rotated and placed back with the washed surface in seating position on the washing chamber and the used surface in the washing position. The lifting apparatus may be operated manually, by foot or power operated. In the reversed position, the washed side is ready to be used and the underside can be washed. Drying/blowing apparatus supplies air, preferably heated, to dry the washed surface. Optionally, the system may be equipped with additional sanitizing devices (germicidal, ultraviolet lamps, lasers, microwave device, supersonic Generator or other type), to provide seating surface sanitizing. This invention provides simple and reliable solution to the sanitary problem of toilet seats. The system has few moving parts and allows easy, reliable and cost effective solution of the toilet seat cleanliness.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most of toilets seat do not have any cleaning device. Toilet seats,particularly in public restrooms, are frequently soiled after use.Soiled toilet seat is practically out of service. Open front toiletseats reduce possibility of the most common problem of leaving drops ofurine on the seat. To provide clean seat, various types of seat covers(paper tissue or foil type) and seating surface cleaning devices havebeen invented, but they are not frequently used because they areineffective, impractical, expensive, complicated. There is a need for areliable, inexpensive device that, without disadvantages of thepresently used methods of providing clean toilet seats, will be commonlyused.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention presents a reversible (two sided) toilet seat having twoseat surfaces installed on top of a washing chamber. Such a chamber isequipped with washing nozzles supplying washing liquid, and adryer/blower supplying drying air. The toilet seat is attached to thewashing chamber the way to be able to be rotated to allow alternate useand washing of each side.

For clarity, the presented version does not show a seat cover and atoilet flushing system, bit the flushing system and optional seat coverwill be needed as for typical seats and can be easily incorporated withthe system.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show general views of the seat assembly placed of atoilet. The seat, item 1, is double sided. It is placed on top (covers)the washing chamber, item 2, placed on the toilet rim. A blower/drier,item 5, equipped with a heater, supplies warm air to the washing chamberthrough a hose, pipe or duct, item 7. Arrows show the air inlet to thedrier, the lifting and the rotating movement of the seat, movement of anoptional lifting mechanism pedal and lever attached to the lifting axle.Item 3 is an axle bracket that rotates in bearings, items 4. Item 8 is awashing liquid supply to the chamber. Item 6 is a foot-operated seatlifting mechanism.

FIG. 3 shows detail of the seat, item 1. The seat resembles two typicaltoilet seats without hinges attached back-to-back (item 11) with theaxle of rotation, item 12, attached at the back.

FIG. 4 shows the washing chamber, item 2. The washing chamber housing isa U-shaped (in cross-section) vessel that can be covered and sealed bythe seat. At the back the housing has a mounting plate, item 21, forattachment of two bearings and an opening for supply of drying air.Washing coil with nozzles, item 22, is placed at the bottom of thechamber. The washing liquid is supplied under pressure through pipe,item 8, and discharged through the nozzles as shown on the crosssection. The washing liquid discharge is activated when the washingchamber is closed and sealed by the seat (seat in the lowered position).The internal and the external edges of the washing chamber providesealed connection with the seat, or are equipped with attached seals, tocontain the washing liquid inside the washing chamber. After completionof the washing cycle, drying air is supplied through hose, pipe or duct,item 7, The airflow, shown with arrows, blows out washing liquid anddries the washed surface of the seat. The air exits to the toiletthrough openings in the front part of the internal wall of the housingas shown with arrows.

FIG. 5 shows the axle bracket. Two plates, item 31, join the sleeve,item 32 and two half-axles for lifting, items 33 and 34. The sleeve isthe place where seat axle (FIG. 3, item 12) is inserted. The two axles,item 33 and 34, rotate in bearings (item 4 on FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). Theaxle, item 34, is extended and bent to provide a lever and allow easyrotation of the entire bracket in the bearings.

FIG. 6 shows the cross sections three examples of the washing chamber,item 2, covered with the seat, item 1. Type A washing chamber is placedon top of the toilet rim and has only one washing coil, item 22, withnozzles. Water discharges from the coil nozzles washing the bottomsurface of the seat. Type B is a washing chamber integral with thetoilet. Instead of one washing coil, it contains two washing coils,items 22, and a sanitizing lamp, item 23, between them. Type C, achamber placed on the toilet rim, has different shape and seals thanType B. Many other possible designs could be used, such as washingcoil(s) integral with the chamber, different type of sealing edges andseal etc.

The seat lifting and the rotating movement can be manual or with use ofany mechanical devices that are commonly used for such purpose. Suchmechanisms could combine the lifting movement with the seat rotation,i.e. lifting movement causing the seat rotation, and may incorporate aratchet type mechanism to allow rotation in one direction only.

FIG. 7, Side View shows an optional lifting mechanisms, (item 6, FIG.1). Cable, item 61 is connected to the end of bent lifting axle, item 34and runs through pulley, item 61, to pedal, item 63. Pressing down thepedal rotates the lever and lifts the seat.

FIG. 8 shows two examples of the kinematic diagram of the axle rotation.The Basic type has the axle bracket as shown on FIG. 5 and requiresmanual seat rotation. The Optional version shows one of the bearings(item 4) replaced with a support, item 4A. Instead of being integralwith plate, item 31, and rotate in bearing, axle 33A is firmly attachedto support, item 4A and inserted in sleeve attached to bracket. Seatlifting movement rotates the seat through bevel gear with axles item 33Aand item 12. Thus, lifting of the seat causes seat rotation. Onedirectional (ratchet type) rotation of axle 12 or disengaging coupling(not shown) may be added to allow stay in the reversed position.

More expensive version may be equipped with one or more of the followingfeatures:

-   -   1. a spring, counterweight, accumulator of energy or any similar        device to balance the weight of the seat and for easy lifting        (or lifting and rotation);    -   2. lifting and/or rotating devices that use power (such as        electric, pneumatic, hydraulic) as commonly used for driving        purpose in similar mechanisms. Because they are commonly used,        they are not a subject of this patent;    -   3. germicidal, ultraviolet lamps, lasers, microwave device,        supersonic generator or other sanitizing device(s) placed inside        the washing chamber to provide, in addition to washing,        additional sanitizing;    -   4. washing/sanitizing liquid dispenser with proportioning device        to mix water with washing detergent before use;    -   5. water repellent coating of the seat surface to improve        cleanliness and reduce the drying time;    -   6. programmable control (mechanical, electrical, electronic,        microchip or other) controlling part or the entire cycle or        lifting, rotation, washing and drying) as well as use of        proximity sensor(s) or switch(es) for activation and/or        protection of the user;

Such additional features are commonly used, they do not need to bedescribed in this specification and are not a subject of this patent.

It is to be understood that the methods and apparatus, which have beendescribed above and shown on the drawings are merely illustrativeapplications of the principles of the invention. Numerous modificationsmay be made by those skilled in the are without departing from the truespirit and scope of the invention.

1. A double-sided (reversible) toilet seat, similar to two toilet seatsplaced back-to-back.
 2. A toilet seat as described in claim 1 having anaxle, or opening for an axle, to allow the seat to be rotated and placedon the toilet in reversed position. The axis of rotation may be, butdoes not have to be, the axis of symmetry of the seat.
 3. A washingchamber for toilet seat equipped with a seat-cleaning device. Thechamber shaped the way that can be sealed to contain spraying of thewashing liquid inside the washing chamber with a drain for removal ofthe washing fluid or/and opening for escape of drying air.
 4. A washingchamber as described in claim 3 equipped with an inlet for cleaningliquid and cleaning nozzles that allow the cleaning liquid to wash theseat surface.
 5. A washing chamber as described in claims 3 and 4equipped with a drying device that allows supply of drying air that may,but does no have to, be heated.
 6. A toilet seat as described in claims1 and 2 that is placed on the washing chamber as described in claim 3the way it can be lifted and rotated.
 7. A toilet seat with washingchamber as described in claim 4 with the seat or seat axle attached to alifting and rotating (reversing) device of any type commonly used forsuch movements. The lifting and rotating devices may, but do not haveto, be interlocked.
 8. A toilet seat as described in claim 1 having seatsurfaces coated with water repellent material to allow the surface to bedry for use.
 9. A toilet seat as described in claim 1 having eachsurface of different material, color, texture or design.